Phobia
/ˈfoʊ.bi.ə/noun
A persistent, irrational fear of a particular thing or situation.
Did you know?Phobia originates from Phobos, the Greek god of fear and son of Ares, whose name evoked supernatural terror on ancient battlefields, personifying panic itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeugʰ-
“to flee”
Ancient Greek (c. 1200 BCE)
Gk
phobos (φόβος)
“fear, panic, terror, flight”
Classical Greek
Gk
-phobia (-φοβία)
“fear of (in compounds like hydrophobia)”
Medieval Latin
Lat
-phobia
“morbid fear”
1786
Eng
phobia
“strong aversion, irrational fear”
Modern English
Eng
phobia
“persistent irrational fear of specific objects or situations”
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